Totally Unofficial Queer Guide to Emerald City Comicon 2016

So you’re an LGBT person attending Emerald City Comicon 2016 this year, a celebration of comics and pop culture here in Seattle from April 7-10.

There’s quite the schedule to pore through (and it’s not the easiest site layout to do it), so we’ve pulled out the most relevant panels and offsite events (official and not) for your attending and viewing pleasure.

Please note that while this is a long list, it’s not 100% comprehensive, so if you know of anything that should be added, please let us know! In any case where it doesn’t seem obvious, we’ve indicated why we’ve included a panel (i.e. what makes it particularly LGBT-friendly.)

Enjoy!

Emerald City Comicon 2016 Queer Guide

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Location: T204
Meet fellow creators in a safe networking environment before the show opens. Enhance your professional networks in a relaxing environment with provided refreshments. Exchange your business card for a chance at a prize!

6:45 PM – 7:45 PM Location: T301
Oni Press, proud publisher and curator of impeccable tales, invites you to join editor Robin Herrera and some of the most interesting and idiosyncratic creators working in comics as they share what goes into creating work with a unique, and individual sensibility. Join industry vanguards: Zander Cannon (Kaijumax, Heck), Erika Moen (Oh Joy Sex Toy, Bucko), KC Green (Graveyard Quest, Gunshow), Erica Henderson (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Jughead), and Jhonen Vasquez (Invader Zim, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac) for this once-in-a-lifetime panel about what it takes to transform a creator’s unique vision into a reality! (EDITOR’S NOTE: Including this as Erika Moen has a strong LGBT bent to her comics.)

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Location: T204
Join our hosted event to comfortably connect and network with other professionals before the show opens. Bring your business cards to swap and to enter into our raffle! Refreshments provided. Sponsored by Joon

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: T302
Secret Loves of Geek Girls is an anthology dedicated to sharing the stories of love, sex, and dating from women in the fandom industry. From comic creators to video-game developers, fangirls to sci-fi authors, the anthology is a new mix of prose and comic stories from established and up-and-coming creators. In this panel, contributors to the anthology discuss their stories and the process of developing the anthology. (Panelists include Hope Nicholson, Sam Maggs, Roberta Gregory, Irene Koh, Laura Neubert, and Megan Lavey-Heaton.) (EDITOR’S NOTE: Including due to queer content in the anthology.)

1:45 PM – 2:45 PM Location: T302
Many people have often dismissed queer content as adult-content inappropriate for kids. However, as we’ve seen in the popularity and successes of Legend of Korra, Steven Universe and Lumberjanes, LGBTQIA+ and queer characters and storylines resonate with young audiences. Join moderator Shannon Watters (Lumberjanes) as she leads as a discussion on how we can better include healthy representation and how to make them standard practice.

2:45 PM – 3:45PM Location: T303
British writer Kieron Gillen and artist Jamie McKelvie nowadays make up one of the most acclaimed creative teams in contemporary comics. They are the masterminds behind Phonogram (every hipster’s favorite comic about pop-music), Young Avengers (a superteam for the post-heterosexual age) and now The Wicked and The Divine–a mythical, mystical, profound exploration of the passionate life, lived in the face of death. What forces formed and forged these two creative powerhouses? What weird British comics warped their minds to make them this way? How did they meet? Did they ever try to start a band? What are the going to do next? (And which one is wicked … and which one divine?) Join Professor Saunders of the University of Oregon Comics Studies Program for a conversation with two of the coolest guys in comics, when all these questions (and more) will be answered (or perhaps skillfully evaded). (EDITOR’S NOTE: Included because Wicked and the Divine includes strong queer content.)

5:15 PM – 6:15 PM Location: T301
Sit down with the creative team behind Rat Queens as they talk about the new direction of the series after the shocking events of the “Demons” arc. Get an insight into the development of Rat Queens, from script to inks, colours and letters, and hear behind the scenes stories about what the future holds for this award winning series! (EDITOR’S NOTE: Included as Rat Queens is a comic with strong LGBT content.)

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM Location: W603
Ms. Marvel and Bitch Planet are blowing up the world of comics; but being a good feminist isn’t just about getting as many female-led titles on the shelf as possible (though that doesn’t hurt). Representation matters to everyone, and diversity of all kinds both behind and on the page makes a huge difference in the stories we read and the ideas we internalize. Join our panel of comic pros to chat about all the different strides we’ve made in representation of race, gender, and sexuality in comics – and how we can strive to do better. (Panelists include Jody Houser, Irene Koh, Kristafer Anka, Fionna Adams, Sam Maggs, Amy Chu and Chrystin Garland.)

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM Location: T301
Every fan knows what it’s like to love something that doesn’t love you back. Often, our media requires a certain amount of denial and frustration when it comes to portrayals of gender, race, and sexuality. It’s okay to like problematic things, but how do we interact critically with content we love—while still allowing ourselves to relax and have fun?

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM Location: W3A
Looking to diversify your sci-fi and fantasy reading? Come to this panel for picks from area librarians, with an emphasis on female, POC, and queer characters and authors. Tell us what you love and we’ll make a recommendation just for you! Time is limited, so submit your request for recommendations in advance with our hashtag #ECCCDiverseReads. (Panelists include Emily Calkins, Jackie Parker, Dawn Rutherford, Claire Scott, Kate Sellers, Whitney Winn).

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM Location: T305
Come join this special presentation where writers will do a live reading of short queer comics, including talking about the inspiration, intentions and impact of the pieces. Currently lined up are Justin Hall (No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics), Anne Toole (Crystal Cadets), Jeff Krell (Jayson), David Kelly (Steven’s Comics) and P. Kristen Enos (Web Of Lives).

4:15 PM – 5:15 PM Location: T302
Comics by and for gay men have a remarkable history and artistic legacy. Since they were some of the only ways gay men could see themselves presented on the comics page, they had the potential to not only titillate, but also to build communities and change lives. “Hard to Swallow” was a groundbreaking series that delighted in pushing boundaries and challenging assumptions about gay desire and identity. With the debut of a new collection from Northwest Press at Emerald City Comic-Con, it’s the perfect time to revisit that series with its creators! Join series creators Dave Davenport (“Feral and the Ghostskater”) and Justin Hall (“No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics”) as well as contributor Steve MacIsaac (“Shirtlifter”) as they discuss their work, how their forebears paved the way, and how the gay comics community has changed with the Internet. Northwest Press publisher Charles “Zan” Christensen hosts this rousing discussion of gay comics, past, present, and future!

5:15 PM – 6:15 PM Location: T305
Mainstream comics are beginning to reflect the longstanding diversity of their readership, thanks to a rising influx of creators from a wide variety of backgrounds and creeds. These creators are the future—people who reflect the ethnic diversity of our world, and are killer at creating comics.

9PM – 2AM Location: Seattle Eagle (314 E Pike St)
Put on your best Super Suit and come find your Man of Steel, because the producers of PINK PARTY PRIME and PINK PARTY COMICON are bringing you SUPERHARD COMICON, the steamiest, sexiest party during EMERALD CITY COMICON. Hunky DJs KROT and ROB WINTER will be hitting up the booth, and the super hard XXX stars TYLER RUSH and CASS BOLTON will be shaking it up in the cage.

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM Location: T305
The past few years have seen incredible growth in the field of queer comics, and especially queer comics for kids and teen readers. This panel will bring together LGBTQ comics publishers, editors, and creators to talk about the ever-expanding field of queer comics, and the challenges, opportunities, and importance of positive queer representation in media for kids and teens. (Speakers include Melanie Gillman, Shannon Watters, Taneka Stotts, Blue Delliquanti, Mildred Louis and Dylan Edwards.)